Music is essential, no matter what type of outdoor adventure. We list down our top 10 waterproof speakers for the best outdoor adventure experience ever.
We’ve talked about how music can help keep the good vibes and energy flowing on the boat and how it can help us enjoy our day’s fishing overall.
You can use your tunes or ‘choons’ to help hype up and motivate the team early in the mornings. This is extra helpful when we have toasted the oak a bit too much the night before.
A “jigging” playlist is perfect for keeping rhythm while avoiding burning yourself out too early in the day.
The benefits greatly outweigh the cons of playing music while on a fishing adventure.
And it has never been easier to keep the beats dropping with the advent of Bluetooth waterproof speakers.
Not all boats are fitted with epic sound systems, but with a waterproof speaker, you can keep the tunes flowing with the best of them.
We list down our top 10 favorite Bluetooth waterproof speakers and why we think they deserve a place on your boat, no matter how big or small.
And yes, we’ve had our hands on all of these speakers, either our own or brought along by our guests.
So we know how they hold up in harsh saltwater conditions.
Let’s begin with our favorite.
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
Weighing in at 430g and in a baseball size and form factor, the UE Wonderboom has played us great music daily, without fail.It’s 10-hour battery life is just perfect for a full day fishing session.
Charge it up before you hit the sack, and you’ll be ready to pump the jams the next day.
The little bugger is round-ish and tends to roll around if you don’t find a good place to wedge it in.
What we’ve done to our Wonderbooms is attach a carabiner onto the little loop and hook it onto the t-top grommets of our center consoles.
We don’t worry about it banging into the tubings or rolling around on the deck as it is shockproof.
An accidental dip into the ocean isn’t much of a problem either as it floats! The bright colors allow us to find it easily on the water.
A good rinse after a session helps to keep it clean and lengthen its lifespan.
Once back onshore, and at the fire, we pair our Wonderboom to get a more powerful sound.
After quite a few seasons of regular use on saltwater fishing trips, it has proven its worth!
Get yours here!
Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
The UE Megaboom 3 is the bigger and more powerful sibling of the Wonderboom.Weighing in at just under 1kg, but the added power and volume make it worth its weight.
It is waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, and floats as well.
It’s cylindrical design blasts music in all directions, only if you keep it up on its end.
Its added length and girth allows UE to pack a small subwoofer in it, adding plenty of bass.
A bigger form factor means a bigger battery too. 20-hour battery life!
To get the most out of the extra bass and volume of the Megaboom, we also utilize the little loop and attach a carabiner onto it to hook onto the t-top tubings.
If on a boat without a t-top, we wedge the speaker wherever as long as the music is still audible around the boat.
Same functionality and ease of use, but with a bigger size and price. But also a bigger sound.
Buy here!
Ultimate Ears Roll 2
The smallest among the 3 UE offerings we’ve put in our top 10 list, the UE Roll 2 may be small, but it still offers big, beautiful sound.What we love about the UE Roll 2 is the stretchy marine-grade bungee that comes attached to it.
You can potentially attach the speaker anywhere on any boat.
Railings, tubings, ropes, seat posts, esky handles.
It is extremely portable and so light, you might even keep it attached to your belt.
Among the 3 UE options we have, this might be the best option for smaller boats and even kayaks and canoes.
9 hours of battery life is just enough for a full day of fishing.
The only downside of the Roll 2 is it doesn’t have the 360 degrees sound coverage like the other options.
Its pancake-style form factor manages to offer 180 degrees front-facing sound.
Not a deal-breaker at all, but is worth noting choosing a location to place the speaker so everyone hears the music.
Get yours here!
Bose SoundLink Micro
We’ve gotten our hands on this tiny speaker when a guest brought it along on his trip.For such a tiny speaker, the Bose SoundLink Micro offers a crisp, balanced sound with pretty good bass to boot!
It was plenty loud and clear on the boat with engines idling, and anglers huffing and puffing.
But we recommend this little puppy for smaller boats, kayaks, and canoes.
This pocketable speaker has an IPX7 waterproof rating, making it suitable for our field of work.
It also has a soft rubberized exterior that resists scratches and cracking.
It’s not “shockproof” though, so it is important to mind where you place this little speaker.
The strap helps keep it solidly attached to bags, tubings, railings, or t-tops.
Its 6 hours of continuous playtime may not be enough for a full day session though.
But at just 300g, you can’t expect it to last more than that.
Buy yours here.
Bose SoundLink II
The slightly bigger version of the SoundLink Micro is the Bose SoundLink 2.The same rugged rubberized casing is now a bit more resistant to drops and bumps but still not fully shockproof.
Its slightly bigger size and Lithium-ion battery let you enjoy up to 8 hours of playtime. Just right for a full day fishing session.
Useable on bigger center consoles but may work best for smaller boats.
Get your Bose SoundLink 2 here.
JBL Charge 4
Up next is JBL’s offering to the outdoor speaker market.The JBL Charge 4, at 1.5kg, is beefy and rugged, to say the least.
It’s 20 hours of playtime that gives this bad boy 3nd place in the battery life category.
Cylindrical in shape, it offers 360 degrees of sound. But it also has a flat bottom, or foot, allowing users to place it on top of the console without fear of it rolling off.
And without any loops or straps, laying it on a flat surface is the only placement option you get.
IPX7 waterproof rating gives us peace of mind when out fishing and its rubbery texture gives users the confidence to grab and chuck around the boat.
Designed primarily with sound quality and ruggedness in mind, you sacrifice portability, attachment, and placement options around the boat.
Get yours here.
JBL Go 2
Another contender for small boat owners. The JBL GO2 is the smallest and most affordable speaker on the list.Weighing in at only 180g, this guy lasts 5 hours of playtime max.
Pretty good sound quality but won’t be as powerful as the other offerings on the list.
Its pocketable size makes up for the lack of sound power though and is perfectly suited for smaller vessels and calm weather conditions.
Intimate river or lake settings anyone?
Without any straps or attachment options, strategic placement of the speaker is required for maximum auditory enjoyment by all on board.
The GO2 is fully waterproof (IPX7) so don’t worry about water at all. Not shockproof though so take care of it!
Buy yours here.
DemerBox
The heavyweight champ of the list, the DemerBox speaker is every outdoorsman’s dream speaker!The heaviest on the list, weighing in at 2.5kg, it makes up for its weight with its functionality.
DemerBoxes are made with Pelican Cases. Yep, that’s right. The bomb-proof Pelican Cases professionals use to transport delicate equipment like cameras, all over the world, through the toughest terrain and harshest conditions.
This bastard child of a speaker and Peli-case allows you to store your small valuable items like wallets, keys, sat phones, phones, and other stuff without worrying about them getting wet.
All while having it play your awesome tunes.
You must love your music a lot to have a bomb-proof speaker!
DemerBoxes use professional-grade speaker components to ensure you get amazing sound quality with powerful volume.
The DemerBox lasts an incredible 40 hours between charges. Plus, it has internal USB charging to keep your devices charged up for your entire adventure! Its rugged and durable construction is designed to perform in any outdoor environment!
And just in case your adventures bring you to remote destinations where locals still use iPods. It has a 3.5mm audio jack in addition to Bluetooth.
Get yours here!
Sony SRS-XB33
The Sony SRS-XB33 is the winner in the bass department. Hands down.Sony somehow figured out the secret formula in getting an awesome “live” sound with its bass mixing.
Match this awesome sound quality with an IP67 waterproof and shockproof design, this may turn out to be my new favorite.
It gets 2nd place in the battery life department as it can last all day long with up to 24 hours of juice.
Once the sun goes down and the drinks start flowing, the Sony SRS has speaker lights to add to the party vibe!
Boost your music with two speaker lights and multi-colored line lights and turn the lights on or off via its own phone app.
Although extremely unnecessary but a good function to have, you can use Party Connect and sync up to 100 speakers. I doubt everyone on the island has a Sony SRS but.
The lack of attachment points grinds my gears though. Without any loops or straps, we lose out on boat placement locations.
Still an amazing sounding speaker for its price.
Buy yours here.
Sony SRS-XB12 Mini
The smaller sibling of the SRS-XB33, we finally have the last, but not the least, Sony SRS-XB12.If the UE Wonderboom is a baseball, then the Sony SRS-XB12 is a cricket ball.
Its size may fool you, but it also has the amazing Sony BASS power, offering users great sound quality.
And it has a strap! We get to clip it anywhere on the boat.
Small it may be but amazingly, it has a 16-hour battery life! Take my money now!
If my Wonderboom somehow dies on me, The SRS-XB12 Mini will be my next Bluetooth speaker.
Get yours here.
Hope you enjoyed our compilation of the best Bluetooth speakers to bring on a fishing adventure.
And we hope this list helps you choose a speaker that best suits your taste, boat size, and audiophilic desires.
Which one from the list will you get?
If you are looking for a true sport fishing company that offers you more than just a Vanuatu fishing adventure, look no further than Ocean Blue Fishing.
Call us now at (AU) 1300 564 616 or at (INTL) +61 436 020322 or you may also contact us through our website at www.oceanbluefishing.com/enquire
